Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Tunsil advocates for DIY contract dealings
Laremy Tunsil became the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman by negotiating a $66 million contract extension with the Houston Texans without the help of an agent.
As he basks in his big payday, the 25-year-old left tackle hopes his unorthodox decision will start a trend in the league.
“Hopefully that will spark the minds of somebody else that they can do the deal on their own and not have an agent,” he said.
Everyone from Tunsil’s teammates and friends to family members were shocked that he completed his extension without an agent. But he knew it was the right decision for him.
“I felt like it was time to write my own destiny, if that makes sense, to put things in my own hands and to get it done,” he said. “You just have to bet on yourself, and that’s what I did and I got the deal done. I’m extremely proud of myself and the team.”
By negotiating his contract without an agent, Tunsil saved a substantial amount of money as agents typically take between 1% and 3% of the contract’s value as their fee.
While Tunsil did not have an agent, he did have advisers who helped him navigate the process. He also sought advice from Seattle’s five-time AllPro linebacker Bobby Wagner, who negotiated a three-year, $54 million extension last year without an agent.
“He actually told me that it was pretty easy doing a deal by yourself,” Tunsil said. “And the toughest part about doing a deal on your own was just the terminology — not knowing the terminology and just learning the terminology and being able to voice it to the coaches.”
Tunsil had one year left on his contract that will pay him $10.35 million this season. The Texans acquired Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills in a trade with Miami in August, shipping this year’s first-round pick and their picks in the first and second rounds in 2021 to the Dolphins.
In his first season in Houston, Tunsil’s presence helped the Texans cut their sacks total from an NFL-leading 62 in 2018 to 44. The 6-5, 313-pound Tunsil was selected to his first Pro Bowl for his work in protecting quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blind side.
The extension includes a $13 million signing bonus and $50 million in guaranteed money. The deal meant even more to Tunsil because he likely lost out on millions of dollars in his first contract after an incident stemming from his Twitter account being hacked on draft night caused him to tumble to the 13th pick in 2016.
The tweet, which was sent just before the draft, appeared to show him smoking marijuana while wearing a gas mask. Tunsil, who some projected to be the top overall pick that year, said at the time that it was him in the video, but that it was shot years ago and he does not have a drug problem.
“It’s a huge blessing, definitely coming from what happened on draft night and to be here now,” Tunsil said. “They tried to bury me, and I overcame that and I’m here now. To all those people who are actually going through adversity, never quit.”